Community Health Network uses state training grant to help save lives

Employer training grants are beginning to have the kind of major impact that was envisioned when the program was rolled out last year as part of Gov. Eric Holcomb’s NextLevel Jobs initiative. The grants are used by employers to train and reskill employees for high-demand jobs. But grants awarded to Indianapolis-based Community Health Network, Community Howard Regional Health in Kokomo and Lutheran Child and Family Services will be used to train workers in a critical skill that extends far beyond the workplace—helping to save lives through suicide prevention. The three each received a $50,000 grant ($150,000 total) to train or upskill a total of 65 employees in behavioral health evidence-based practices, including suicide prevention. The goal is to drive more Hoosiers to HaveHope.com, an online resource offered by Community that provides information about how to start the conversation about suicide, testimonials, statistics and more. It also provides resources for users to connect with care, whether it be the national suicide hotline or Community behavioral health services locally. Programs benefiting suicide prevention receive even more attention in September, which is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. Suicide annually takes the lives of more than 41,000 people nationally, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Employer training grants are part of Indiana’s NextLevel Jobs initiative, which awards employers $5,000 per employee up to a maximum of $50,000 to train and retrain workers. NextLevel Jobs is part of Gov. Eric Holcomb’s Next Level Indiana agenda and was introduced in 2017. The grants are administered through the Indiana Department of Workforce Development and available to help fill in-demand positions within six priority sectors: advanced manufacturing, building and construction, information technology and business services, health and life sciences, transportation and logistics, and agriculture.